The invention concerns an arm sling for use by stroke victims.
Thousands of stroke victims each year suffer a loss of limb use, the pathways from the brain to the limb having been destroyed or damaged as a result of the stroke. The muscles of the useless limb begin to atrophy and/or contract pulling the hand, for instance, into unnatural poses. In the case of an arm which is rendered useless by a stroke, the arm is typically carried in a sling. Such a sling may comprise nothing more than a triangular cloth which is slung over the shoulder of the patient, where two corners of the triangular cloth are tied together to form the sling. Commercial slings are also available which include large cloth pockets in which the arm rests and is provided with adjustable belts that pass behind the patient's back and over the opposite shoulder for support.